Annotated List
A. People
1. Tertullian (195-220 CE) Lawyer and Author who wrote a number of treatises in defense of the faith against pagans, and in defense of orthodoxy against various heresies; advocate of the authority of the church. Coined the formulas that would eventually become the hallmark of orthodoxy. (Gonzalez, 88-93)
2. Cyprian (248-258 CE). Bishop of Carthage Faced with the question of the readmittance of the lapsed after the persecution under Decius Cyprian called a synod of the bishops of the region to decide this issue. Of supreme importance to Cyprian was unity of the church. (Gonzalez, 102-104)
3. Eusebius of Caesarea (260-339 CE) - Bishop of Caesarea (314-339 CE). Wrote the first history of the Christian Church, …show more content…
Gnosticism- (70 CE-present) A vast and amorphous movement that existed both within and outside of Christianity. Gnosticism derives from the Greek word gnosis meaning knowledge believed that Gnostics possessed a special mystical knowledge of the secret key to salvation. Gnosticism was a serious threat to Christianity throughout the second century and Gnostic faith continues to resurface in the present day. (Gonzalez, 70-73)
2. Martyrdom-(1st Century-present)The most dramatic form taken by a Christian witness was suffering for their faith even unto death, and is the reason the word “martyr” which originally meant “witness” took on the meaning it has for us today. Martyrs had to have a choice; they had to elect to die and they must have felt that death was necessary to further their cause, to further the truth and righteousness of their beliefs. Martyrs were noted as early as the persecution under the Roman Empire and those dying for their faith as seen even to present day. (Gonzalez, 49, 115-116)
3. Monasticism-The fourth century witnessed a massive exodus of the most devout Christians to the deserts of Egypt and Syria in what would lead to the early monastic movement. The drive was to live a life of solitude. The growing number of people withdrawing to the desert gave rise to a new form of monastic life in communal monasticism, known as cenobitic monasticism. Monasticism continues to present times. (Gonzalez, …show more content…
Christianity became the emperor’s favored religion, and this meant a diversion of wealth away from pagan cults and towards the Church. The policies that Constantine started such as giving tax exemptions to the church and making it legal for the church to receive and own property continue to remain and benefit the church even today. Constantine's affection for sun worship led him to endorse Sunday, the first day of the week and a day dedicated to honoring the sun, as a weekly day of rest in the Roman Empire which continues today as we worship in Christian communities on Sunday. At the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325), called by Constantine, church authorities were directed to settle the issues behind the Arian controversy which resulted in the basis for the Nicene Creed and the doctrine of the Trinity. Overtime the marriage of the Empire to the church under Constantine gave the Church more power and prestige. When we consider the vast differences between the mainstream Christianity of today and the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the apostles, we can trace much of that change to Constantine and the religious system he put in power. These changes resulted in a growth within the Christian Church and of Christians in positions of power. Constantinian Christianity provided many benefits that the church welcomed, but it also brought with it many temptations and raised
A. People
1. Tertullian (195-220 CE) Lawyer and Author who wrote a number of treatises in defense of the faith against pagans, and in defense of orthodoxy against various heresies; advocate of the authority of the church. Coined the formulas that would eventually become the hallmark of orthodoxy. (Gonzalez, 88-93)
2. Cyprian (248-258 CE). Bishop of Carthage Faced with the question of the readmittance of the lapsed after the persecution under Decius Cyprian called a synod of the bishops of the region to decide this issue. Of supreme importance to Cyprian was unity of the church. (Gonzalez, 102-104)
3. Eusebius of Caesarea (260-339 CE) - Bishop of Caesarea (314-339 CE). Wrote the first history of the Christian Church, …show more content…
Gnosticism- (70 CE-present) A vast and amorphous movement that existed both within and outside of Christianity. Gnosticism derives from the Greek word gnosis meaning knowledge believed that Gnostics possessed a special mystical knowledge of the secret key to salvation. Gnosticism was a serious threat to Christianity throughout the second century and Gnostic faith continues to resurface in the present day. (Gonzalez, 70-73)
2. Martyrdom-(1st Century-present)The most dramatic form taken by a Christian witness was suffering for their faith even unto death, and is the reason the word “martyr” which originally meant “witness” took on the meaning it has for us today. Martyrs had to have a choice; they had to elect to die and they must have felt that death was necessary to further their cause, to further the truth and righteousness of their beliefs. Martyrs were noted as early as the persecution under the Roman Empire and those dying for their faith as seen even to present day. (Gonzalez, 49, 115-116)
3. Monasticism-The fourth century witnessed a massive exodus of the most devout Christians to the deserts of Egypt and Syria in what would lead to the early monastic movement. The drive was to live a life of solitude. The growing number of people withdrawing to the desert gave rise to a new form of monastic life in communal monasticism, known as cenobitic monasticism. Monasticism continues to present times. (Gonzalez, …show more content…
Christianity became the emperor’s favored religion, and this meant a diversion of wealth away from pagan cults and towards the Church. The policies that Constantine started such as giving tax exemptions to the church and making it legal for the church to receive and own property continue to remain and benefit the church even today. Constantine's affection for sun worship led him to endorse Sunday, the first day of the week and a day dedicated to honoring the sun, as a weekly day of rest in the Roman Empire which continues today as we worship in Christian communities on Sunday. At the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325), called by Constantine, church authorities were directed to settle the issues behind the Arian controversy which resulted in the basis for the Nicene Creed and the doctrine of the Trinity. Overtime the marriage of the Empire to the church under Constantine gave the Church more power and prestige. When we consider the vast differences between the mainstream Christianity of today and the original Christianity of Jesus Christ and the apostles, we can trace much of that change to Constantine and the religious system he put in power. These changes resulted in a growth within the Christian Church and of Christians in positions of power. Constantinian Christianity provided many benefits that the church welcomed, but it also brought with it many temptations and raised